While we all sit in our own little bubbles of reality, that make up the four walls of our homes or drive alone in the bubble of our cars we find ourselves with endless time to think.
What do we think about all day long? Most of us cannot go out to work, or run the kids to and from school. Going shopping can no longer include a catch up with an old friend over coffee; our sports clubs and community activities are no more, and parties and celebrations at this point in time are a thing of the past.
For some of us we have families to chat to, or interact with, a partner to pass time with, or at least a loyal pet to ease the loneliness we may otherwise experience. But other than this – we are all being encouraged to be alone. To be Isolated.
When we are alone our emotions can, if left unchecked, run rampant. We know this because most of us know that feeling, when we are lying awake in the small hours and we feel like the rest of the world sleeps and we are alone with our thoughts. We magnify them. We focus on them so that they become challenges; obstacles in the path to our happiness – which in the short term is a good nights sleep! The more we isolate, the less we are exposed to others perspectives.
Before the big “C.V.” became the topic of our daily thought trains, we had already found a myriad of ways to distance ourselves from others.
Conversely it all began with the birth of “social” media. I recall my kids getting MySpace and Bebo, before I’d even heard of facebook, twitter or instagram. When it came out I recall thinking it was only for kids, but look at how almost everyone is connected to social media. At the moment we are not far from being totally dependant on it for all our interaction.
You may be thinking that we should be grateful for this, as without it we would be so much more isolated! And you would be very right in thinking this – but we must adapt, in order to make sure we don’t lose something so important.
That human connection. When we cannot touch the hand of another to convey empathy or support, offer a warm hug to a friend whose feeling down, or even smile at a passing stranger, we are missing the chance to share our love. We are starving ourselves of the human connection through a necessary incapacitation, but this is even more reason that we need to inject love into all our interactions.
When we feel strongly (because we feel threatened by the thought of something that could happen to us), we become desperate to warn those we care about – and lets face it anyone else we can too, because we know in our hearts that what we have to say could change lives, right?
But have you ever (and lets all be honest), heard anyone concede to another after they have been called stupid, ignorant or other such derogatory terms? The answer, “Oh yes, of course you are totally correct and I’m wrong. You’ve totally changed the way I think” Said no-one ever, after a barrage of verbal keyboard warrior abuse!
But it doesn’t mean we cannot express our views or have an opinion. We only need to remember to try and express them kindly and remembering at all times that others have very different, but just as strong views. Remember our views and values are often based on what we fear the most. We judge others because we feel threatened that their views that don’t fit inline with ours, and will somehow make our own fears come true. But they probably feel that way too, so lets not attack each other at a time when we so desperately need the human connection, but cannot have it. Lets connect through our hearts instead. Lets communicate with each other gently and respectfully. The world is so full of anger and fear right now, we need to re-dress this balance wherever we can.
Rummi once said “ Let your words pass through 3 gates:
Is it True; It is Necessary and is it Kind”.
I wish you good health, clarity and calm and above all Love. ❤
LORRAINE EREIRA 